Vitamin C - Heart disease

Vitamin C as an antioxidant and contributor in collagen synthesis, has very crucial role in prevention and treatment of heart disease.

Clinical prevention of scurvy disease can be achieved with daily intake of about 100 gm of vitamin C.
But the nutritional requirement of ascorbic acid is much higher than this for warding off adverse health conditions, especially the ischemic heart disease.
subclinical form of vitamin C deficiency exists in many people leading to diseases like cardiac disease, strokes, diabetes etc.

Vitamin C - heart disease and arterial walls

As the heart pumps blood back to the body all the blood vessels experience pressure, especially arteries.
When the blood vessels are healthy, normal blood flow is maintained.
If the arteries are weak, constricted or have deposits in the wall, there is cardiac stress and diseases like hypertension, cardiovascular disease is caused.

Collagen is found in the artery wall and is necessary for the elasticity and tenor of the artery.
Ascorbic acid is necessary for collagen synthesis.
When there is deficiency of vitamin C, the artery walls harden and develop minute cracks and blood leaks into the surrounding tissues.
A focal point inflammatory, disease and infection is formed.
This leads to production of prostaglandin thromboxane.

In order to plug these leaking cracks platelets aggregate and lipoproteins are deposited.

The LDL cholesterol in the blood forms further deposits at this point and a plaque is formed.

This leads to narrowing of the blood vessels and to keep up circulation the heart has to pump harder.

Fresh cracks get formed due to pressure and a chain reaction starts leading to further narrowed vessels.

The consumption of ascorbic acid makes the endothelial lining of the artery wall healthy and elastic by proper and sufficient deposits of collagen.